Gil Grissom
Gil Grissom is the night-shift supervisor of the Clark County, Nevada CSI (forensics) team, investigating many cases in and around the city of Las Vegas. When asked why he is a CSI, he frequently responds, "Because the dead can't speak for themselves." (Toe Tags). Personality Grissom's dispassionate demeanor and high intellect often work to his advantage in his job and in his personal life. Grissom is rarely disturbed by the various subcultures with which his job brings him into contact. He hates abusive husbands, child predators, and drug dealers who "deal death to kids". He is also is the least trigger-happy CSI, rarely drawing his firearm, a tendency that has brought about several scoldings from friend and cop Jim Brass. He was raised Roman Catholic, but has said, "That guilt's not a part of my life anymore." Also when speaking with a priest who heard the confession of a murderer he said "I believe in science, and I believe in God, but I don't believe in someone telling me how to live my life." In the season seven episode Double-Cross, he tells Sara Sidle that, while he isn't really a Catholic anymore, he is a sort of "secular Catholic" who infuses his work with more meaning than it might otherwise have. He also continues to believe in God, as he tells her he believes both science and faith are necessary. He keeps his mother's rosary beads in a box in his office. His avoidance of job politics (and paperwork) often alienates his superiors (and sometimes his subordinates), and right-hand woman Catherine Willows occasionally has to prod him to perform such menial tasks as employee evaluations (episode 122, "Evaluation Day"). Grissom's hobbies include his work, cockroach racing, reading, solving crossword puzzles, and riding roller coasters (episode 122, "Evaluation Day"). Abilities Grissom is a forensic entomologist who earned his degree in biology from UCLA. He has a wide and varied knowledge of insects and entomology, which he applies to his investigations. This has led to his nickname, "The Bug Man". Grissom has a more than passing similarity to Sherlock Holmes. Like Holmes, Grissom is dispassionate with a fierce devotion to logic and little regard for societal norms of behavior (Grissom once smashed mustard jars in a grocery store to illustrate a theory (episode 111, "I-15 Murders"); similarly, Holmes once practiced spearing a pig at a market to determine how strong a man would have to be to transfix a man with a harpoon). He possesses a Moriarty-like nemesis, Paul Millander, whom he ultimately defeats by reason of Millander's death (episodes 101, "Pilot;" 108, "Anonymous;" 213, "Identity Crisis"), a woman in whom he has taken an unusual interest, Lady Heather who is a parallel to Irene Adler in her powerful intellect, physical beauty, strong personality, ability to unsettle her opponents, and contextually unconventional lifestyle (episodes 208, "Slaves of Las Vegas;" 315, "Lady Heather's Box;" 615, "Pirates of the Third Reich"). Although Grissom does possess a John Watson, like Holmes, his "Watson", Jim Brass does not play a foil but rather a genuine assistant. Intellectual and widely-read, Grissom often offers quotes from a variety of literary sources, particularly Shakespeare. He also works 'advanced' crossword puzzles and listens to loud classical music and opera in his office, especially when he wants to think. Grissom is an excellent marksman, as seen in episode 402, "All For Our Country," when he demonstrates exceptional accuracy at the firing range. Grissom's mother is deaf; because of this, he knows sign language (episode 120, "Sounds of Silence"). Early Life Grissom grew up in Marina Del Rey, California. His father, who was in the importing/exporting business (in the season 6 episode Still Life, Grissom tells Catherine Willows his father was a botanist), died when he was nine years old, most likely from heat stroke. His mother ran an art gallery in Venice. He says that in high school, he was a "ghost". Season Seven A package is delivered to Grissom's desk at the end of episode 711 ("Leaving Las Vegas"), after he had already left for his sabbatical. It waits there with his accumulating mail until he finally returns a month later and opens it (episode 716, "Monster in a Box"). He is shocked to discover a perfect scale miniature of the scene of a crime-- one that has not happened yet. He and the rest of his team had thought that they had caught the so-called Miniature Killer (episode 702, "Built to Kill, Part 2", episode 707, "Post Mortem"). They are left with no real leads and far more questions then answers. In 2007, Grissom took a sabbatical to teach a class at Williams Collegein Williamstown, Massachusetts for four weeks (episode 711, "Leaving Las Vegas"). Prior to his sabbatical, Grissom had been showing signs of "burnout". Upon his return, however, (episode 715, "Law of Gravity") he appears reinvigorated and imparts to Warrick Brown that he "missed Las Vegas." Trivia * The character was originally intended to be named Gil Scheinbaum. According to William Petersen, interviewed for UK TV channel Five US, Petersen was considered 'insufficiently Jewish' by series creator Anthony E. Zuiker for the name and the character was renamed for astronaut Gus Grissom. * Despite the Grissom character being from the West Coast of the West Coast, he has a somewhat noticeable Chicago accent. For instance, he pronounces Nevada as nəˈvɑda. (Petersen is from the Chicago area.) * He keeps a variety of specimens in his office, including a radiated fetal pig and a tarantula. He also has a fish-shaped bulletin board on which unsolved cases go ("the ones that got away") (episode 106, "Who Are You?"). In keeping with the fish theme, he has a Big Mouth Billy Bass over the door to his office, claiming that it's "better than a watchdog." * Grissom also occasionally keeps evidence from closed cases (such as the models created by "The Miniature Killer") (CSI newcomer Michael Keppler expresses interest while examining these miniatures when he first comes to the lab in episode 712, "Sweet Jane.") * Grissom is based loosely on real life Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department criminalist Daniel Holstein. * At the start of season seven, Grissom shaves his beard for the first time in three seasons, but he has the beard again upon return from his sabbatical. However, Sara Sidle is about to shave Grissom in the end of the episode "Fallen Idols" (season 7 ep. 17) * Enjoys riding roller coasters every year when he completes his evaluations of the CSI staff. * Most people call Grissom by his last name, though Catherine Willows, Dr. Al Robbins, and Conrad Ecklie will address him as "Gil," and Warrick Brown uses the shortened form "Griss.". And also in episode 14, season 7, Nick Stokes calls him "Griss". On a few occasions, Grissom has been known by the nickname "Bugman". * Grissom inherited his mother's otosclerosis, a disease which was causing him to slowly go deaf, but he underwent corrective surgery (episode 323, "Inside the Box"). His hearing loss is most evident in episodes such as (episode 202, "Chaos Theory"). * Grissom gets an occasional migraine (which he claims he gets about once a year), for which he has prescription medication. Notes * Grissom is extremely knowledgeable about literature, in particular the Sherlock Holmes stories and novels. He occasionally quotes Shakespeare and has a weakness for wordplay and slightly off-color puns. * Grissom has extensive knowledge about entomology. The character of Will Graham whom William Petersen played in the film Manhunter (based upon the Thomas Harris novel Red Dragon), wrote "the standard monograph on determining time of death by insect activity". Relationships In so much as Grissom confides to anyone, he confides in Catherine Willows. He once likened her to being his "wife" though the two have never been more than very good friends. Grissom has also been involved with forensic anthropologist Terri Miller (episode 114, To Halve and to Hold) and S&M parlor operator Lady Heather. He has supported Warrick Brown through several brushes with the law and has a fatherly bond with Nick Stokes and, later on, Greg Sanders. He also shares a good friendship with Dr. Al Robbins. Of all of his fellow investigators, he is closest to Sara Sidle. Both are self-described "science nerds" and are the most socially awkward members of the team. While at times both have expressed more than a hint of interest in the other romantically, it is not until the sixth season finale that they are definitely shown to be involved. In seventh season episodes, he continues to be involved with Sara Sidle, but is keeping the relationship a secret from others in the lab, probably because of the repercussions it could have for both their careers. In "Fallen Idols," Grissom says that he trusts Sara intimately. In season 8 Grissom makes a proposal of marriage to Sara, which she willingly accepts. Category:CSI: Las Vegas Characters Category: Males Category:Crime Lab Personnel